Getting Organized as a Grad Student

Getting organized as a grad students is something we're expected to do, but we don't often get a chance to see others do. Here is an unprecedented (ha! How narcissistic of me :) look into my brain, my process, and my tech tools. This is just what works for me, but I'm always looking for the next big thing that will help me GET THIS DONE.

Because the best dissertation, is the done dissertation.

But, before I tell you about my journey, keep in mind that you cannot possibly implement everything from this presentation. But you can try, see what works, and keep improving. One step in the right direction is better than no steps, or "spiraling down the wormhole."

Even the best of us will have piles and piles of stuff. Manage your piles. And don't feel bad that there ARE piles. More piles means more connections, and connections are what we need!

"Each session of intellectual work required the burning of only three more calories than relaxing did. But when the students hit the buffet table after the text summation, they took in an additional 203 calories. And after the memory and attention tests, the subjects consumed another 253 calories. Blood samples taken before, during and after the activities found that all that thinking causes big fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels. And because glucose fuels the neurons, a transitory low level in the brain may signal the stomach to get the hands to fill up the mouth, even though the energy actually spent has gone up just a hair. The researchers note that such “caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact that we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesityepidemic.” Think about that—unless you’re on a diet."

I have some special, fabulous "Rescue Pastilles" that sits beside my computer. I think about them all the time. I want them. But I can only indulge if I am writing. I get that special indulgence only if I'm writing my dissertation. They make me happy. So - I equate writing with a sensory indulgence....

What is your BACKUP PLAN???

Now, don't get scared, but what if you got the blue screen of death today? Would you have a backup? Would years of your work go POOF? I have multiple backup systems. Not just to keep files, but to access files from multiple locations.

I also keep all my PDF's in scribd, so I can share them with my advisor, my committee, my peers, or any collaborators. I keep my UA professional documents here, because Springboard only allows access if you are enrolled, and I don't believe learning ends when you stop paying tuition.www.scribd.com/amyholl

How do you keep track of all those drafts of your dissertation? Make sure you have a good folder system. My brain also operates like a folder system - I start with a file cabinet, divide it into drawers (major like files), divide that into big folder, divide that into sub folders. Also, get good at naming things - What it is.date.people.difference

Evernote.com is so cool. You can search it for just about everything, upload documents, remember quotes from what you read, search for handwritten notes, remember lectures, all from your desktop, phone, ipad, or any device.

But, how do you remember to do all this stuff?Google Calendar

Wunderlist on my iPhone (because I was forever buying things, three and four at a time, because I didn't remember what I have. This helps me get over my hoarder tendencies)

Wunderlist is also cool because it allows me to track changes for my dissertation. I can keep a detailed list of the changes I need to make, or the tweaks I think of on the fly, and assign due dates, times, next steps, and goals.

So, with all that technology, comes all those distractions. A ping here! A ding there! A notification! Something shiny!!!

Sometimes, I need to block everything out, and get focused.

You should never feel like you are in this alone. There is always someone going through this, who will talk to you about how to get this done. By researching, and not being afraid to try, you too can be PHINISHED!